artists | news | tickets | practical | discussion | year 2002 | czech
Artists / SHEVA (ISRAEL) The cliche 'melting-pot', when applied to Israel, sounds flat and banal. The population of 6 million includes some 100 ethnic groups. For Europeans, Israeli music is still a well kept secret. Sheva consist of 7 musicians of different cultural origin, fusing Jewish, Moslem and Christian roots. Sheva uses variety of Middle Eastern and Indian acoustic instruments along with modern sound technology. But even with darboukas and frame drums they can generate same level of energy as The Led Zeppelin used to. In 1998 Sheva made a coast-to coast tour of US, they were invited to perform at the Sacred Music Festival under the patronage of the Dalai Lama, this February they were introduced to European festival organizers meeting at Strictly Mundial music fair and conference in Marseille. Sheva is part of the "new generation" Israeli scene. Journalist and festival organizer Dubi Lenz from Tel Aviv explains this phenomenon in The Rough Guide to World Music: Young Israelis after serving for at least three years in the Israeli Army try to get some "air" abroad before starting real life and serious obligations - this are the wandering Israelis - most of them take a backpack and travel towards the rising sun (to the Far East) or towards the setting sun (to South America). Some of them are staying for weeks, some of them are coming back after couple of years with a knowledge of a new culture and some unknown music pounding in their heads. The majority of them are going back to ordinary modern city life, but few of them find some isolated rural place to live in, keeping their smile and tranquillity (which is very difficult to maintain in everyday life in Israel) and most of all keeping the environment. If they are talented enough they gather to create a world music group combining instruments and rhythms from the east and the from the west. Among those Israeli groups are Sheva (Seven)... who are steady participants in "spiritual" weekend festivals taking place on the sea shore or in green pastures on the Galilee mountains or in secluded places in the Israeli desert - "come hear the music and see the light" and most of all "give peace a chance". Discography Celestial Wedding Day & Night Garden Line-up Ahmed Taher - Darbuka, vocals, percussion Avishai Bar-Natan - Zorna, Shanai, Flutes Mosh Ben-Ari - Vocals, acoustic Guitar, Tar Ehud Ben-Knaan - Baglama, saz, Lira, bass Amir Paiss - Vocals, Persian santur, acoustic guitar Gil Ron-Shama - Vocals, Djembe, percussion Lior Shulman - Drum set Internet www.sheva.net